


Go or stay behind

by SecondSilk



Category: Harry Potter - Rowling
Genre: M/M, Marauders' Era
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-07-13
Updated: 2010-07-13
Packaged: 2017-10-10 13:12:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 599
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/100152
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SecondSilk/pseuds/SecondSilk
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A story of Hogwarts for James and Regulus</p>
            </blockquote>





	Go or stay behind

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Flesh](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Flesh).



> Written for Flesh's birthday in 2007. Inspired by James and Regulus from Communiquills, played by Flesh and Emerald.

1\. Regulus followed Sirius around for the first three weeks of term; until Professor Slughorn gave him detention for always being late for class. Even then he spent his breaks and after dinner sitting outside the Gryffindor common room entrance, watching Sirius with a mixture of yearning and revulsion.

James kicked the small huddled figure as he passed. Regulus glared at him, and for a moment was distracted from thoughts of Sirius.

 

2\. The first stage of the Animagus transformation is particularly delicate and James, in his capacity as leader, was more worried about Regulus sneaking around or distracting Sirius, than he about curses aimed at them from Snape. Snape couldn't see past the end of his very large nose; he thought they were sneaking out at night.

Sirius could not stand James even saying his brother's name.

So James grabbed Regulus and pushed him against the wall.

"Just keep away, you sneaking Slytherin… sneak!"

Regulus pushed James away and pulled his shoulders back, trying to look down his nose at the taller boy.

"He is my brother."

James shoved Regulus again, not wincing when his head hit the stone wall with a thud.

"He's my brother," he said and walked away.

 

3\. James kissed Regulus for the first time in the middle of his fifth year.

They walked past each other almost randomly before James's Quidditch practice and after Regulus's herbology class.

James spun on his heel, grabbed Regulus by the collar of his robes and kissed him squarely on the lips. Regulus was too stunned to move. James continued towards the Quidditch pitch before Regulus could walk away first.

 

4\. Regulus suffered the same indignity thrice more before he reacted.

But when he did, he held on to James for several seconds and pushed his tongue past James's lips, so he wasn't pleased with himself.

 

5\. "Go away," Regulus said, through gritted teeth.

James was all smug amusement, as thought he and his friends hadn't lost two hundred points for trying to kill Severus. "No," he said.

Regulus crossed his arms. James sidled up to him, giving Regulus enough space to run.

"Go away!" Regulus said, his voice rising with desperation.

James reached forward to cup Regulus's cheek, an intimate gesture that made Regulus's heart beat faster and his eyes widen in fear. James looked more serious than Regulus had thought possible.

Regulus's eyes fluttered closed and braced himself for a kiss as James leant forward. But he wasn't kissed. James whispered, "I won't ever go away."

Then he was gone and Regulus was cold and he missed Sirius all over again.

 

6\. On the last day of school, James hung back after breakfast to wait for Regulus.

Regulus marched passed him and down a side corridor, with a brief glance over his shoulder. James followed Regulus into an empty classroom.

Regulus crossed his arms, and his haughty, dismissive look had come a long way from his early attempts outside the portrait of the Fat Lady.

"You are going away," Regulus told him.

"No. You're staying behind," James said, but he wasn't smiling.

"It's not fair!" Regulus suddenly burst out.

James looked at his feet. There was too much in the world that wasn't fair and Regulus represented most of it for him: bloodlines and politics and school houses. He didn't want to think about it here. He kissed Regulus instead. Regulus kissed him back, hot and fierce.

 

7\. James watched Hogwarts fade away as the train sped towards London and laughed when Lily asked him if he wished they could have spent another year at school.


End file.
